MommaJam on 95.9 WATD-FM: Summer Grilling

This morning on 95.9 WATD-FM, we had some serious grill talk, continuing the debate about whether to use a charcoal or gas grill. The gas grillers beat out morning show host Rob Hakala, who is standing his ground as a die hard charcoal king. Listen in on the replay to hear the banter and get recipes and tips for “3 Delicious Dinners on the Grill.”

The herbs help prevent the meat from getting charred and add distinct flavor to the meal. Steak tips are great for grilling novices because they taste better when you cook them longer on low heat. About 10-12+ minutes each side. You can speed this up, but if you’re multi-tasking while grilling steak tips (which most moms are doing at dinner time), it’s OK to step away from the grill to run inside to start the rice, make a salad, break up a pre-dinner kid squabble… as long as the heat is on low.

Throw red, yellow and orange peppers on the grill towards the end. Finish up the rice pilaf in the kitchen and you have an easy meal for your family.

Pizza on the Grill. This is such a fun way to make dinner. You may need practice cooking pizza dough on the grill, so buy or make extra dough in case you burn a couple of pies. Have all of your ingredients ready in a bowl outside on a side table.

Spread the dough on a board, then cook it on one side and flip it to gently to cook the other. Cook on low heat to make sure the dough doesn’t burn. Add the sauce and toppings and close the grill lid to melt everything for about 3-5 minutes. Babysit the grill. Don’t run inside and out or you risk ruining the dinner.

Lobster in White Wine on the Grill. Decadent. Delicious. Delectable. This is my new favorite summer dish. Lobster at the wholesale pound is about $8 per pound. It’s worth every penny, if you love lobster. Using a very sharp knife, cut the lobster into big pieces – keep the big claws whole, but cut the smaller claws, and cut the tail and tunnel in half lengthwise (not widthwise). Marinate the lobster in white white, a little olive oil, lots of garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook the pieces on the grill for about 10 minutes each side.

Serve with lightly grilled fresh baguette slices and use olive oil as a dipping sauce versus butter. You will never eat a boiled lobster again. This recipe needs to go into the cookbook I’m working on with fellow mom Farrah Jeong.

Fresh Herbs Enhance Dishes. For all of these dishes, use fresh herbs as much as possible. It’s not too late to plant a kitchen garden in a big pot or small raised bed near your back door. Then you have access to fresh, flavorful herbs whenever you cook dinner all summer long and into the fall until the first frost.